‘I reached into my bag for my purse/wallet but it wasn’t there! How would I pay?’

In this week’s Friday Fiction Writing Prompt we look at getting out of a sticky situation. You are somewhere, let’s say a restaurant, which means you have already partaken of the service, and you need to pay. However, the means of payment, your purse or wallet is missing. What are you going to do? You need to think quickly and come up with a solution. In addition, what has happened to the missing item? Is it a simple case of forgetting to pick it up, or is there something a little more riveting going on?

Quite often we can write ourselves into a cul-de-sac, a dead end. Our main character, or another vital person, has been written into a situation they need to get out of. It wasn’t intended, but the muse led us here. We could just erase or delete those 100, 200, 500… more words? Or we can craft and write our way out. That’s what this prompt is there for.

No rules on word count or style or how you achieve it, apart from you need to write and get out of the situation you find yourself in.

The mattress was so soft, but comfort ran from my mind as I heard the scratching from beneath the bed

Hallowe’en is just around the corner, so let’s get a little scary with our Friday Fiction Writing Prompt. You’re in bed, it’s nice and comfortable, then you hear the noise. How do you describe the sound? How do you react to the noise? Do you try to rationalise it, or does your mind immediately think of the worst possible scenario? And, of course, what happens next?

Bringing tension, fear and apprehension to your writing is a skill. Explore sprinkling your words with a little horror. There are no limits to where you can take this idea, it could be nothing… but it could be the most horrifying thing to take place.

As always no rules, just write. And don’t scare yourself so much that you’re unable to put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard… hey, did you hear that scratching noise?

Writing can be seen as a mix between a dark art and the pursuit of the unhinged. Sitting down for ages crafting words isn’t always as enjoyable as it could be. But you can also approach your writing as a chef creates his signature dish. This list of ingredients for compelling writing just might help.

I thought it only fair to return to the creative cookbook and find a few more ingredients you could add to your literary larder. If you haven’t seen the previous post of ‘Compelling writing ingredients’ then follow the link.

Remember, a good recipe doesn’t use all the ingredients you have all of the time, and sometimes the subtle flavour is more effective than the one that hits with the first mouthful. But enough of this extended metaphor, let’s get on with the post.

Conflict

Two or more characters, in disagreement, in any shape or form will draw the reader in! ‘No, it won’t.’ ‘yes, it will, your reader wants some kind of resolution… or the sequel.’

Emotion

Love, hate, joy and fear, if you can get the reader to engage with these emotions you’ll have them hanging on every word you write. Why do you think love and horror stories are so well read!

Progress

A story should move from A to B, it shouldn’t be static. Even waiting, as in for Godot, is progress; implied progress counts in writing if not in business.

Variety of language

The use of passive vocabulary, which consists of words people know the meaning of, or understand in context, but is not used every day, is something to keep well stocked. Try eating the dictionary.

Use your voice

All great cooks have a signature dish, or speciality, as a writer you need to find an ingredient that is your own, unique to you. Sounds daunting but it is an ingredient you already have stocked, you simply need to use it.

There was a bird singing in the garden this morning. I could hear It from my desk and was a welcome distraction. It helped me remember that nature thrives beyond the double glazing. There is a world beyond the often sterile environment of the home office.

I can’t hear the bird now. It might have flown away, or just become somnolent. What I can hear is the drill from the roadworks. It’s moved a little further down the road from yesterday, but it is still clear. It’s a reminder that we attempt to control the environment of the world beyond.

It’s a gesture toward our own importance.

The songs of nature will be sung long after the road, currently being churned and relaid, has disappeared. Fauna will sing long after I am not here to gaze out of the window and wonder from what tree the bird sings.

But, currently, the sounds are cars, the drilling, the odd rattle of branches and leaves as the wind rushes by and the tap tap of my fingers on the laptop keyboard. The staccato clicks are not punctuated with chirping from outside, but I type and wait and sit in hope. Sing again.

It takes a little more than pure inspiration to write that killer content, be it a blog post, novel or article. Although the idea is the kernel to any great literary dish, you should always have on hand the following ingredients to lift your words to the writer’s equivalent of haute cuisine. A little tweak to your writing will create compelling content.

You may find taking these ideas with more than a pinch of salt is just what you need. But you shouldn’t assume that you need all these ingredients all the time, mix and match; experiment.

There are many more ingredients for compelling writing you could use, but these are my top five:

Nearness

The reader can be drawn in with any geographical or experiential situation that they can identify with. Create the ‘I’ve been there’ factor.Consequence – Try to make the content deal with matters that have an effect; create consequence in what you write.

Consequence

Try to make the content deal with matters that have an effect; create consequence in what you write.

Human interest

Go on you know you want to, go all out for the cute vote, the shaggy dog story at the end of the news keeps you hanging on for the weather report. Alternatively, the opposite is also true, a report on the cost to life of any disaster can be a compelling read.

Drama

Action and intensity… if you’re writing a story, this is a must, but it can be quite a good addition to any writing.

Oddity

Pique that mind and interest that soul. Let eyes pour over your words, washing them into the bowl that awaits like open mouth – sometimes being weird works, trust me, I’m an editor.

Remember these are ingredients, it is up to you how you use and mix them, and add a few more of your own. Pull out your paper and pen and sprinkle those ingredients on your writing.